Fastener tape and method of making it



1961 M. A. ROSEMAN 2,997,720

FASTENER TAPE AND METHOD OF MAKING 1T Filed Oct. 26, 1959 jforzan flfloseman,

United States Patent 2,997,720 FASTENER TAPE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Morton A. Roseman, 20 Tower Drive, Maplewood, NJ. Filed Oct. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 848,830 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-265) This invention relates in general to fastener tape of the type that comprises a strip of fabric having a plurality of metal fastener elements such as hooks or eyes stitched thereto in spaced relation longitudinally thereof; and more particularly the invention contemplates such fastener tape wherein the fastener elements are disposed at and along one longitudinal edge of the fabric strip or tape. v l r The usual fastener tape of this general character has the fastener elements secured to the strip by a line of stitches that has portions extending longitudinally of the strip between the fastener elements close to the edge of the strip from which the elements project, and off-set or tack stitches at each fastener element extending transversely of the strip and traversing portions of the bases of said elements, which firmly secure the fastener elements to the strip. The longitudinal edges of the strip usually are longitudinally curved as the result of the stitches and the following of the contour of the fastener elements by the fabric, so that it is difiicult to feed the strip or tape through guide devices during the stitching of the completed tape to the edge of a garment or the like.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved fastener tape comprising a flexible fabric strip including a plurality of plies and having fastener elements stitched thereon between the plies and having its longitudinal edges substantially straight as contrasted with the curved edges of the above-described known tape, so that the tape can be easily passed through guide devices.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved method of stitching the fastener elements on fabric strips whereby the fastener elements shall be firmly secured on the strip and the longitudinal edges of the strip shall be straight.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which- FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a piece of fastener strip or tape embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the piece of tape shown in FIGURE 1.

(FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the tape with portions broken away to show the stitching of the bases of the fastener elements to the tape.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a known or prior art type of tape upon which the present invention is an improvement.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the reference character A generally designates the fastener tape which comprises a strip of fabric including at least two superposed layers or plies 1 and 2 that are preferably formed by folding a wide strip longitudinally intermediate its width as indicated at 3 to form one longitudinal edge of the strip and have their other edges in juxtaposed relation as indicated at 4 and 5 to form the other longitudinal edge of the strip. Between the two plies 1 and 2 are secured the base portions 6 of fastener elements B that are shown in this instance as wire hooks having their bills 7 projecting from the second-mentioned edge of strip and extending inwardly into overhanging relation to the outer side of one of the Patented Aug. 29, 1961 plies, in the present instance the ply 2. The shoulder portions 6 of the fastener elements comprise portions of wire loops 6a that form the bases of the elements and are disposed in approximately a common plane.

The fastener elements are secured to the strip A by a line of stitches C that includes portions 8 extending longitudinally between the shoulders of the fastener elements and the longitudinal edge 3 of the strip opposite the edge from which the fastener elements project, said line of stitches also including lateral off-set or tack stitches 9 extending inwardly and transversely of the tape from the longitudinal portions 8 and in traversing relation to portions of the base loops 6a of the fastener elements as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The line of stitching may be formed in any suitable manner to provide the longitudinal portions 8 and the lateral, transverse or off-set stitches 9 that include two series of tack stitches 9a and 9b disposed at opposite sides of the bases and bills of the hooks.

With this construction, the longitudinal edges of the strip are maintained straight as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the longitudinal portions 8 of the line of stitches C being disposed between the ofi'set stitches 9 and in distantly spaced relation to both longitudinal edges of the strip and the offset stitches 9 comprising the two sets of tack stitches 9a and 9b extending from said longitudinal portions toward and terminating short of the opposite longitudinal edge of the strip and across the bases 6 of the fastener elements, and thus reducing or preventing any tendency of the longitudinal line of stitches to cause a curvature of the longitudinal edges of the strip.

This'construction is in sharp contrast to the prior art hereinbefore mentioned and illustrated in FLGURE 5 Where the longitudinal portions D of the longitudinal line of the stitches are closely adjacent the edge portion 'E of the strip S from which the fastener elements F project, and one series G of the tack stitches for each fastener element extends inwardly from one of the longitudinal portions D of the line of stitching across the fastener element bases, then a stitch H is formed longitudinally of the strip across the fastener element base and then the other series of tack stitches G run from stitch H outwardly to the next longitudinal stitches D, and so on. The longitudinal edges of the prior art tape usually are curved as shown in FIGURE 5.

Fastener tape of this general nature is usually sewed onto the edge portions of garments or garment openings and the tape is frequently fed through guide devices to the stitching mechanism. It is practically impossible to feed the prior art tape through such guide devices because of the curved edges of the tape. In contrast to this, however, the tape constructed according to the invention, largely due to its straight longitudinal edges, can be easily and accurately fed through such guide devices to the sewing mechanism, thereby to facilitate the stitching of the tape to the garment or other article.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a fastener comprising a piece of fabric and only one fastener element secured to the fabric piece in the same manner as hereinbefore described with the line of stitches having portions extending from end to end of the fabric piece between the shoulders of the base of the fastener element and the edge of the strip opposite that from which projects the fastener portion.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that eye fastener elements can be embodied in the tape in substantially the same manner as the hook elements and that the width and construction of the tape, particularly the number and form of the plies or layers, can be modified and changed, all within the spirit and scope of the invention,

I claim:

1. Fastener tape comprising a fabric strip that includes at least two superposed plies whose edges along at least one longitudinal edge of the strip are juxtaposed to each other, a plurality of fastener elements in spaced, relation along said longitudinal edge of the strip having base portions disposed between said two plies and fastener portions projecting beyond said longitudinal edge, and a line of stitches securing said fastener elements to said strip including portions extending longitudinally of the strip between said base portions and the other longitudinal edge of the strip and offset or tack stitches for each fastener element extending transversely of said strip from said longitudinal portions toward the first-mentioned longitudinal edge of the strip and. traversing said base portion of the fastener element, said strip being otherwise free of stitches for securing the fastener elements to the strip.

2. A fastener tape as defined in claim 1 wherein the base portion of each fastener element comprises loops, parts of which comprise shoulder portions for the respective fastener elements disposed in closely spaced relation to the first-mentioned longitudinal edge of the strip, and said offset or tack stitches traverse said loops including said shoulder portions and terminate short of the first-mentioned longitudinal edge of the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,445,450 Rosenman Feb. 13, 1923 1,748,397 Roseman Feb. 25, 1930 1,828,786 Roseman Oct. 27, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,379 Great Britain June 17, 1940 

